4231. Robert Southey to Herbert Hill, 13 August 1824

 

Address: To/ The Revd. Herbert Hill/ Streatham/ Surry
Stamped: KESWICK/ 298
Postmarks: E/ 18 xx 18/ 1824; [partial]/AUx/ 1824
MS: Keswick Museum and Art Gallery, WC 247. ALS; 4p.
Unpublished.

Keswick. 13 Aug. 1824

The traveller arrived safely this morning, & nothing the worse for the wear. He was so little tired that by way of refreshing himself he took a walk of four miles with us before dinner, & is now amusing himself with his two Welsh nieces

(1)

Kate and Isabel Southey.

& Cuthbert on the green.

I cannot but think you might derive benefit from warm bathing. It is rheumatism, & not age that cripples you; – & tho the Caldas

(2)

The hot, sulphurous spring and spa town of Caldas da Rainha in Portugal. Southey had visited on 5 March 1801.

are not within reach, Henry could point out to you some baths either natural or artificial which are. The warm salt water bath would be very likely to be beneficial.

You ask me concerning the Q Review. Murray is shy of writing to me because he is playing a part about it which he knows I shall not like. He is very much in Barrows

(3)

Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet (1764–1848; DNB), the Second Secretary to the Admiralty 1804–1806, 1807–1845 and a regular contributor to the Quarterly Review.

hands; – & I believe the wish of both is that Gifford should hold it as long as he possibly can, & that when he can hold it no longer they should find a successor who would conduct it just in the same manner, – that is to say, who would allow B. & one or two others the same license. – Murray however is very much hampered here; & his cupidity has invented another difficulty for himself. He pays Gifford 1200 £ a year, but means to curtail his successor to 1000 £, – & he has the modesty to propose that Gifford shall have a rider of 500 upon his during his life: – terms upon which it is quite certain that no one who is not absolutely needy & unfit for the situation, will accept it. He is afraid that whenever Gifford leaves it the sale will decrease, – & does not perceive that meantime he is incurring an immediate loss by Giffords delays. I have scarcely heard any thing from him since I left town.

I am reading Casaubons Epistles,

(4)

Isaac Casaubon (1559–1614), Epistolae (1656), no. 453 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.

which ought to have been read before the Book of the Church,

(5)

Southey’s The Book of the Church (1824).

as also should Cardinal D’Ossats letters,

(6)

Arnaud D’Ossat (1537–1604), Lettres du Cardinal d’Ossat, avec des Notes Historiques et Politiques de M. Amelot De La Houssaie (1708), no. 851 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.

& Peter Heylyns Account of Guernsey & Jersey.

(7)

Peter Heylyn (1600–1662; DNB), A Survey of the Estate of France and Some of the Adjoyning Ilands (1656), no. 1187 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.

Casaubon was among the books which Landor sent me, & is the he refers to it in his Dialogues, – one of which is between Casaubon & James I.

(8)

Dialogue VIII in Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, 2 vols (London, 1824), I, pp. [93]–112, where Casaubon converses with James I and VI (1567–1625; King of Scotland 1567–1603, King of Great Britain 1603–1625; DNB). Landor directed his readers to an ‘attentive perusal’ of Casaubon’s letters (p. 96).

The Cardinals letters I bought at Norwich P Heylyn had been long in <my> possession – but I had forgotten that it contained information concerning Laud’s

(9)

William Laud (1573–1645; DNB), Archbishop of Canterbury 1633–1645.

system & views which is not to be found elsewhere. If I should compose a Book of the State,

(10)

Southey did not write ‘The Book of the State’ as a companion to his The Book of the Church (1824).

the facts which I have found in these works may as well be introduced there, as incorporated in a future edition of the B.C. But this is very doubtful.

I have nearly got rid of my cold, tho still with some remains of the cough. Edward will conduce to my recovery, by inducing me to live more upon the move now that I am able to do it. We are to dine al fresco by the lake side tomorrow – if the weather as it promises should permit; – & next week he will be introduced to a nearer acquaintance with the mountains.

Did you see Conde’s Catalogue?

(11)

Catalogue of the Curious Library of Don J. Antonio Conde, Part the Second. Being an Extraordinary Collection of Spanish Books and Manuscripts, and Oriental Literature Printed and Manuscript (London, 1824). This sale catalogue detailed part of the library of José Antonio Conde y Garcia (1766–1820), a Spanish scholar and historian.

Among the MSS. were the three parts of the Cronica del R D Joam 1 by Gomes Eannes,

(12)

‘Coronica del Rey Dom Joao de boa memoria primero de Portugal deste nome, composta por Gomez Yanez. Acabado de trasladar no anno 1545, 3 vol.’ This was a chronicle by Gomes Eanes de Zurara (c. 1410–c. 1474) of the reign of John I (1357–1433; King of Portugal 1385–1433); see Southey to John Murray, 11 August 1824, Letter 4228.

– of which only one has been printed. I am endeavouring to find who was the purchaser that I know where to borrow it, if possible, as soon as the Peninsular War

(13)

Southey’s History of the Peninsular War (1823–1832).

is off my hands. A copy of the Quatrocientas Preguntas (for which I gave half a guinea in 1803) sold at this sale for seventeen guineas & a half.

(14)

Luis de Escobar (c. 1475–1552/1553), Las Quatrocientas Respeustas a Otras Tantas Preguntas (1550–1552), no. 3373 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.

I saw only one part of the Catalogue, – it was the richest I ever saw.

Love to my Aunt & the children. Edward has a letter from one of his brothers, which travelled with him –

God bless you
RS.

Notes

2. The hot, sulphurous spring and spa town of Caldas da Rainha in Portugal. Southey had visited on 5 March 1801.[back]
3. Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet (1764–1848; DNB), the Second Secretary to the Admiralty 1804–1806, 1807–1845 and a regular contributor to the Quarterly Review.[back]
4. Isaac Casaubon (1559–1614), Epistolae (1656), no. 453 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.[back]
5. Southey’s The Book of the Church (1824).[back]
6. Arnaud D’Ossat (1537–1604), Lettres du Cardinal d’Ossat, avec des Notes Historiques et Politiques de M. Amelot De La Houssaie (1708), no. 851 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.[back]
7. Peter Heylyn (1600–1662; DNB), A Survey of the Estate of France and Some of the Adjoyning Ilands (1656), no. 1187 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.[back]
8. Dialogue VIII in Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, 2 vols (London, 1824), I, pp. [93]–112, where Casaubon converses with James I and VI (1567–1625; King of Scotland 1567–1603, King of Great Britain 1603–1625; DNB). Landor directed his readers to an ‘attentive perusal’ of Casaubon’s letters (p. 96).[back]
9. William Laud (1573–1645; DNB), Archbishop of Canterbury 1633–1645.[back]
10. Southey did not write ‘The Book of the State’ as a companion to his The Book of the Church (1824).[back]
11. Catalogue of the Curious Library of Don J. Antonio Conde, Part the Second. Being an Extraordinary Collection of Spanish Books and Manuscripts, and Oriental Literature Printed and Manuscript (London, 1824). This sale catalogue detailed part of the library of José Antonio Conde y Garcia (1766–1820), a Spanish scholar and historian.[back]
12. ‘Coronica del Rey Dom Joao de boa memoria primero de Portugal deste nome, composta por Gomez Yanez. Acabado de trasladar no anno 1545, 3 vol.’ This was a chronicle by Gomes Eanes de Zurara (c. 1410–c. 1474) of the reign of John I (1357–1433; King of Portugal 1385–1433); see Southey to John Murray, 11 August 1824, Letter 4228.[back]
13. Southey’s History of the Peninsular War (1823–1832).[back]
14. Luis de Escobar (c. 1475–1552/1553), Las Quatrocientas Respeustas a Otras Tantas Preguntas (1550–1552), no. 3373 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.[back]
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